BOSTON — Earlier this month, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted former NHL players Teemu Selanne, Dave Andreychuk, Mark Recchi and Paul Kariya, along with former Team Canada women's star Danielle Goyette and, in the builders category, longtime Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs and former University of Alberta coach Clare Drake.

It appears the Hall's selection committee will never wake up and elect Rick Middleton.

"There's nothing about 'Nifty' that, to me, doesn't cry out that he should be honored with a Hall of Fame selection," said former teammate Mike Milbury, who was in Boston for NBC's telecast of Friday's Bruins-Penguins game. "When I look at the guys that are in the Hall of Fame — all deserving — he's probably more deserving than some of them. So I'm disappointed that he hasn't gotten more consideration. But he never promoted himself. He was flamboyant on the ice, but not in front of a camera."

On Tuesday night, The Sports Museum will honor Middleton at the annual "Tradition" event.

Having attended this event the last two years, I learned that being honored by The Sports Museum is no one's consolation prize.

"It’s awesome to be recognized. To me ... it’s just as important to me as the Hall of Fame," said Middleton. "It’s recognition in the place where I live and my family lives. I don’t take these things lightly, and I certainly appreciate them and the people who look at me and those years and the way I played the game."

While the Hall of Fame is not an arm of the National Hockey League, doesn't this guy sum up what the sport's been trying to unlock over a quarter century of "how do we fix our sport" debates?

And Middleton played in a rough-and-tumble era. He was a finesse player, but he took the puck through the game to score his 448 goals and set up 540 others. Locally, his acquisition in the May '76 trade that reunited Ken Hodge with Phil Esposito in New York was a welcome sauve upon the shocking departure of Bobby Orr to Chicago.

"I can still see him cutting around defensemen," said Don Cherry, who coached Middleton from 1976-79. "I don’t remember him ever playing left (wing) before I had him, but it was kind of like (Maurice) 'Rocket' Richard. They asked him, ‘Why do you play right wing?’ He was a left-handed shot. He said because when he cut in he had to whole net to shoot at.”

For the committee to ignore Middleton is far more egregious than a snub, it's a monumental whiff.

"Well he definitely should be in the Hall of Fame up here (in Toronto)," said Cherry in a phone interview. “When you look at guys that are in it and you look at Ricky, there’s no comparison.”

Middleton's closest 2017 Hall of Fame comparable: Kariya, the phenom from Vancouver who took over college hockey as a freshman at Maine before launching a point-per-game (989 in 989) NHL career cut short by concussions. He never won the Stanley Cup either.

Middleton had 988 points in 1,005 games and was as potent in the playoffs with 45-55-100 totals in 114 GP. Others players shot harder and played longer, Middleton became a two-way maestro.

"He was a very courageous player, going to those dirty areas, taking a beating, and paying the price to be successful. And he showed up every night," said NESN analyst Barry Pederson, who formed a dynamic duo with Middleton from 1981-84. "To me, his number (16) should be hanging from the rafters and he should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame."

Harry Sinden no longer sits on the selection committee, and bylaws prohibit members from divulging information on nominees not elected. The bet here is that the former Bruins GM bruised his fist pounding the table for Middleton's consideration.

Tonight in its feature fundraiser, The Sports Museum will get it right.

— Mick Colageo writes about hockey for The Standard-Times. Visit Rink Rap the Podcast on OMNY.fm, read Rink Rap at blogs.southcoasttoday.com/bruins and follow on Twitter @MickColageo.